Flood — Lower Kuskokwim Valley, Alaska

2020-04-27 to 2020-04-30 · near Sleetmute, Lower Kuskokwim Valley, Alaska

Event narrative

Minor ice jams cause minor flooding at the villages of Sleetmute and Crooked Creek.

Wider weather episode

An unusually high amount of snowfall, combined with an anamolously cold April set the precedent conditions for an impactful break up season. Ice was thicker across the rivers than it had been for several years. A rapid warm up across Interior Alaska caused upstream snow melting, leading to ice jams and widespread flooding along the lower Kuskokwim River.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (61.7405, -157.0284)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 889058. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.